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Topic: Craigslist query-- what's the norm? (Read 5802 times)

I've sold a handful of items on Craigslist before. All but one time, the buyers came to my house to pick up the item. On one exception, I met with the buyer in a store parking lot because she was having difficultly locating my home. Whenever I've purchased items from Craigslist, I've always picked them up from the buyer's home. I assumed this was the norm.

Yesterday, I listed a piece of furniture on Craigslist and a woman emailed me asking if it was still available. I said yes. Her reply? "Great. Can you be at my home in two hours to drop it off?" On top of that her address was at least a hour drive from my home! Jaw met floor. I replied bluntly, "I'm not going to deliver it. If you want it, you have to come get it from my home." She responded, "I was not asking you to deliver it! I was asking if you happened to be in the area and could drop it off!" Huh? So you're asking me BY EMAIL if I happen to be driving around your home by chance with the piece of furniture in my car? Firstly, no. Secondly, that would still count as delivering it. But I digress.

Would you assume there is norm when it comes to buying an item off Craigslist? I would never even think of asking a seller to come to me.

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Quote from: Kinseyanne

In the bag was two cans of kitten formula

So now ... just add water and you get kittens? What will they think of next??

I personally prefer public location exchanges, but I would never expect someone to drop something off at my house. DH did buy something off of CL that was going to be dropped off at our house, but at the last minute our dinner plans went awry and we were closer to the person's house so he brought it to us in town instead. I have seen several ads that specify that there is no drop off, so I do wonder how many people expect it.

I would always assume that I was picking up the item at the seller's home or another place of our mutual choosing if s/he didn't want to tell me where they live. In light of recent events here in Ontario, I wouldn't be upset at all being asked to meet someone at a mall, rather than their home.

But to assume that the seller was going to deliver? Never.

ETA: If it was a large item, I might enquire of the seller: 'I'm interested in purchasing [item] but I don't have a vehicle large enough to pick it up. Would you be willing and able to deliver it? I'd be willing to pay an extra $[amt] for delivery.'

« Last Edit: May 23, 2013, 10:36:25 AM by Outdoor Girl »

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After cleaning out my Dad's house, I have this advice: If you haven't used it in a year, throw it out!!!!.

I had someone ask me to deliver even after I specifically stated that the couch was pick-up only. I even took $50 off of the price so she could rent a truck to come get it. Then she canceled the day of pick-up saying she couldn't come get it, only to call and text me repeatedly the next day acting shocked that I was no longer around to sell her the couch. Sorry honey, I said Sunday pick-up only, gave you the option of Friday or early Monday as an additional courtesy, so no, I'm not going to waste half a day sitting in an almost empty apartment when I could have been two states away by then.

ETA: I offered to store some items for a fellow student over the summer. She filled my apartment which I was subletting with her things without telling me and booked it out of town. She then listed various items on Craigslist, again without telling me, and only informed me that people might be stopping by my place to look at her stuff. I was not happy.

So I wouldn't assume it was home pick-up and I wouldn't assume it was delivery. I would expect it to specify in the ad which options were available and if it wasn't, I'd ask what they were, not demand the one I wanted.

ETA: If it was a large item, I might enquire of the seller: 'I'm interested in purchasing [item] but I don't have a vehicle large enough to pick it up. Would you be willing and able to deliver it? I'd be willing to pay an extra $[amt] for delivery.'

I've done exactly this with good results. I would definitely expect to pay extra if the person is able to deliver, because the norm is for the buyer to pick up the item, either at the seller's home or a public location. I prefer public locations myself but I have had a few people pick up larger items here (and one delivery of a racecar bed )

I have this happen even when I am GIVING away stuff on Freecycle, to the point that I put a disclaimer in each listing, I do not go out often and can not meet you anywhere. (also I do not have a cell phone so it really wouldn't work).

I have this happen even when I am GIVING away stuff on Freecycle, to the point that I put a disclaimer in each listing, I do not go out often and can not meet you anywhere. (also I do not have a cell phone so it really wouldn't work).

It's FREE - pick it up if you want it!! Geesh...

I recently offered an XBox on Freecycle - DH had gotten it (one of the original ones) for free somehow and we've never used it, and he finally admitted he wasn't likely to bother setting it up. I very specifically said in my listing that I would only give it to someone who replied with a specific date and time they could come pick it up - I'd much rather be able to say "Sure, that sounds good!" than have to go the additional step of "You're first; when can you get it?" and having to do another back-and-forth.

I got twelve replies, only ONE of which offered to pick it up at a specific date and time. She wasn't first, but guess who got a reply from me?

In my experience, the norm is to meet somewhere mutually agreeable or for the buyer to come to the seller. I quit meeting people in neutral places because when they don't show up, you're stuck somewhere waiting. I always just have them come to my home (and especially if it's furniture I'm selling) and if they don't bother to come, well, no skin off my nose.

I have neither the equipment nor the muscle to move heavy furniture. You want it? Come 'n' get it.

I just joined a new Freecycle (we moved to a new area), and it has a two strikes rule. If somebody doesn't show up when they're supposed to, and they don't contact you and explain the emergency or whatever, you can contact the moderators and tell them. They'll issue the person a warning. If the person does it twice, they lose their account. It makes me much happier about using this new Freecycle, as I feel I can be reasonably sure that I will have fewer no-shows than I have in the past, because people would get booted if they did it.

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Emily is 8 years old! 1/07Jenny is 6 years old! 10/08Charlotte is 4 years old! 8/10Megan is 2 years old! 10/12Lydia is 4 months old! 12/14

A couple weeks ago, about 10PM one evening, I offered a free box of books on CL and said I would give preference to whoever would pick them up first. I got a couple emails before I went to bed and arranged for a very nice lady to pick them up about 10AM the next morning.

I woke up to a dozen emails in the morning and replied to them all with a quick note that they were pending pickup but I'd notify them if it didn't work out. One person emailed me back and said that she felt she should get the books because she could pick them up "right now" (about 9am, so an hour earlier than the other person) but I'd have to meet her in a public place because she didn't feel comfortable picking them up at my house. I thought it was pretty cheeky for her to try and trump the other person's claim while simultaneously demanding that I inconvenience myself to meet her in a public place.

OP, I'm pretty impressed at the gall of the person in your story. Wow!

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"From a procrastination standpoint, today has been wildly successful."

Seems bizarre to me, but I have experienced strange contact every time I have posted something on Craigslist.

This!!! Selling stuff on CL can get so weird.

As a buyer, if I want something I can't go get myself, I would expect to pay more in asking NICELY if the person was willing to deliver. I've seen a lot of ads that state, "Delivery is absolutely not available, sorry" which may or may not have deterred the woman who answered OP's ad.

Overall, I've had very good experience with craigslist. I think if there's a one size fits all answer, it's just to communicate well what you want. In a couple of random instances, I needed delivery, but I went out of my way to explain that I knew exactly what they were offering and I guaranteed I'd purchase it. In other words, I knew it was a slightly "off" request, so I tried to mitigate it. Also, I made sure to find ads close to me and I offered a stipend for the trip.

Also, most of what I've sold has been items small enough to where we meet "at" my home, but the item itself is outside or in the garage.

I've sold a lot through Craigslist (from rims/tires to a wedding set). I've either met them publicly with a friend by my side or had them come to our home while DH and I were home. When we sell, if we're able to deliver, we include that in the ad but it comes with a fee and is usually only within city limits. Delivery, especially an hour away, is definitely not the norm.